Abstract:
A first progress report on the study was published on 30 September. It laid out the form that the study will take, following a stakeholder consultation process with over 80 parties from academia, NGOs and industry to identify areas on which the study should focus. A majority of respondents addressing health and safety issues highlighted nanoparticles as a major area of concern. Many stakeholders also emphasised the importance of establishing a set of scientific facts on nanotechnology as a basis for a public debate in order to prevent potentially far-fetched "science fiction" scenarios.